A Saskatchewan man who murdered an indigenous woman 23 years ago was granted day parole two years early..In 2000, victim Crystal Paskemin, 21, met Kenneth MacKay at a Saskatoon bar called Longbranch, where he offered her a drive home..A few hours later, Paskemin was dead..In 2002, MacKay was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years..However, the national parole board gave MacKay day parole after only serving 23 years, which is two years early, according to the Paskemin family's prepared statement..The Paskemin family said MacKay lives on Vancouver Island in a community residential facility..“We know this man is still a threat to all women, regardless of what province he lives in,” said the Paskemin family in their statement..“We pray that no family must go through the hell-on-earth that we have had to navigate.”.In the trial, the Crown proposed the theory MacKay struggled with Paskemin while trying to have sex with her and punched her in the face before dragging her out of the truck..MacKay used his truck to run Paskemin over and then burned her body. He was trying to destroy any evidence of the murder..Paskemin’s body was found on the outskirts of Saskatoon on a gravel road..In 2004, during MacKay’s appeal, the Crown said “she did have gravel in her vagina consistent with being dragged naked, ankle first, down the road.”.MacKay testified at his trial it was an accident and that he pulled Paskemin out of his truck when she fused to get out. .As he was driving away, he testified Paskemin fell into the truck’s path and accidentally ran over her, as it was icy and that’s why she fell..The evidence told a different theory of events as Paskemin’s clothes were removed from her body, and a flammable liquid was used to burn her..MacKay continues to insist that he has no memories of removing Paskemin’s clothes or burning the body..MacKay did admit to tying a metal chain to her ankle and dragging her into the ditch with his truck. He said he dragged her off the road “for compassionate reasons.”.However, MacKay dragged her body for nearly three kilometres before hiding Paskemin under a snow pile..According to the national parole board decision in January, MacKay now said Paskemin’s death was not an accident and “there was a sexual component to the offence.”.The Paskemin family's statement said they “bear the burden of having to remember her beauty for longer than we got to enjoy her beauty. We bear the burden of re-traumatization every time the Parole Board of Canada sends letters of his activities, for the past 23 years… We bear the burden of perpetual fear that another daughter or granddaughter will meet the same fate as our dear Crystal.”
